Has the civil engineering industry been unpopular for over 100 years? Is the backlash against public investment influenced by values unique to the Japanese? (The God of Construction)
”Japanese-Specific Values” Regarding Public Investment: While the aging of infrastructure and natural disasters have long been viewed as problems, public investment has been decreasing year by year. This trend is largely driven by concerns about fiscal resources—such as the perception that “public investment equals wasteful spending”—as well as negative perceptions, including collusion between the civil engineering industry and the government…
Two people with completely opposite personalities. Which one became site manager first? (From "The God of Construction")
"People who work hard are wonderful." I think most people in Japan probably feel that way. Of course, working hard is a good thing. However, in the construction industry, working too hard can sometimes be a fatal mistake. Here’s an incident that made me feel that way…
Craftsmen and contractors who blame others too much. Is the site supervisor really to blame for the work not moving forward? (The God of Construction)
The Workers’ Complaints Can Be Heard Again Today From the temporary housing on the job site, I can hear the workers complaining again today. “The site supervisor has it easy, doesn’t he?” “The planning is so bad, the work just isn’t getting done.” Complaints about the site supervisor just keep coming and coming… It’s true that sometimes the planning is poor, and…
My First Major Blunder as a Site Manager. I Hope You Can Learn from My Embarrassing Experience! (From the God of Construction)
I Made a Huge Blunder—My Big Mistake. Somewhere in the country, right now, a new employee is probably making all sorts of mistakes and getting scolded by their boss. When you make a mistake, all sorts of negative rumors start circulating—like being labeled as “useless” by the company or losing the trust of your fellow workers…
A young site supervisor who can’t do anything × a branch manager who can only yell = The Dark Side of the Construction Industry (From “The God of Construction”)
A Young Site Supervisor Who Can’t Do Anything Recently, I went to lend a hand at a construction site. There, a site manager in his 40s and two young site supervisors in their early 20s had been assigned to work under him. As soon as I arrived at the site, I sensed that the atmosphere in the site office was very gloomy. No one was saying anything, and…
To all supervisors: How do you manage overloading? (The God of Construction)
Overloading Management: A Surprisingly Tricky Issue In the construction industry, the problem of overloading is an inseparable part of the business. Whether transporting construction materials or heavy machinery, managing overloading is extremely important, and inspections always include questions regarding overloading management. At transportation companies, delivery slips for materials and other items always include the weight, and transport…
It doesn't suit me, I'm not good at it... A new option: "Focus only on what I can do" (The God of Construction)
The Number of Civil Engineers Working Independently Is on the Rise Lately, I’ve started checking out various people’s social media accounts. I’ve been following anyone who catches my interest one after another and keeping up with their posts. While doing so, something suddenly caught my attention. It was the fact that there are people who aren’t affiliated with any company but are working independently…
"The Problem of Women in Civil Engineering Not Doing Their Jobs" Erupts. The Reality on Construction Sites Is... (The God of Construction)
I’ve started seeing more women at construction sites, but… Lately, I’ve been seeing women on sites more often than before. Not only are there women working in construction management, but I also see many women working alongside the laborers on the job. For those of us in the construction industry, this is extremely valuable…
To all supervisors: How do you manage overloading? (The God of Construction)
Overloading Management: A Surprisingly Tricky Issue In the construction industry, the problem of overloading is an inseparable part of the business. Whether transporting construction materials or heavy machinery, managing overloading is extremely important, and inspections always include questions regarding overloading management. At transportation companies, delivery slips for materials and other items always include the weight, and transport…